Egypt signs two agreements for water desalination using renewable energy

Written by: Mohamed Ragab

Received Badr Abdel-AatiMinister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Foreign Affairs Egyptians Abroad, Sunday, May 3rd Sidi Ould Taha, president African Development BankAnd this was in the presence of Randa Al-ManshawiTo explore ways to enhance joint cooperation and support development priorities in Egypt.

During the meeting, Minister Abdel-Aati praised the strong relations and strategic partnership between Egypt The bank, appreciating the vital role it plays in supporting development efforts, especially in the energy, transport, agriculture, water, irrigation, financial, infrastructure and housing sectors.

He stressed that the cumulative cooperation portfolio between the two sides exceeded $8 billion by the end of 2025, reflecting the strength of the partnership and the depth of development cooperation.

Expanding areas of cooperation 

The Foreign Minister expressed Egypt's aspiration to expand areas of cooperation with the bank in the coming period, in a way that supports the objectives Egypt Vision 2030With a focus on leveraging the financial and technical expertise provided by the bank.

He also stressed the importance of increasing the bank’s investment portfolio in Egypt, particularly in priority sectors, most notably digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and industry localization, given the incentives provided by the Egyptian government to investors.

The bank confirms continued support for Egypt

For his part, the President of the African Development Bank affirmed the bank’s commitment to continuing to support Egypt as a strategic partner, praising the progress it has made in implementing the economic reform program.

He noted the bank’s commitment to increasing its investments in Egypt, particularly in sectors that contribute to achieving inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

Praise for major projects 

Abdel-Aati praised the bank's role in supporting a number of national projects, including Benban Solar Power StationProjects to develop the electricity grid to accommodate renewable energy, along with supporting sustainable transport in Greater Cairo and the New Administrative Capital.

He also welcomed the existing cooperation to support the private sector within the framework of the second phase of the Private Sector Development Program, stressing the importance of this sector in driving economic development.

African cooperation and a water desalination project  

The minister stressed the importance of exploring prospects for tripartite cooperation between Egypt, the bank and African countries, to benefit from Egyptian expertise in implementing development projects on the continent.

At the conclusion of the meeting, two agreements were signed between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the African Development Bank to prepare technical studies for the water desalination project using renewable energy, which aims to establish five desalination plants in four governorates, thereby enhancing water security and supporting sustainable development in Egypt.